So maybe you wish you were active, but when the moment comes, you bail and make excuses instead. Here are some of the excuses you might be using, knowingly or not, and what to do about them!

1. Not prioritising – it’s not going to happen if it keeps being the last thing on your list. And it won’t get prioritised by magic. Allocate time and put it up with the things you have to do today. Then do it.
2. Fear: fear of looking silly – If you are worried about looking silly, start indoors or in your own garden. There are plenty of ways to get active without hitting a gym or the streets. And can I just say that when I see someone who doesn’t look like a natural athlete out exercising, I think ‘wow, good for them, they’re out there doing it.’
   Fear of injuring yourself – if you are worried about this, or if this has happened before, get your doctor’s best advice about what to do and how to do it and stick with that. If you have no history of injury, then just start gently, build slowly and try different things so the repetition won’t get you. If you can afford a trainer, go there, then they can watch your every move and give you advice on keeping injury-free.
   Fear of failing – letting the idea of failing stop you before you have even started? a bit crazy, right? You can only go one day at a time, making the best decisions you can. Remember being kind to yourself? This is where that’s important. Lower your expectations so you are more likely to ‘succeed’,  and be gentle about any less than ideal days. It’s a looooong term plan (life-long!), so remember that you are trying to help yourself stick with it
3. Sore/stiff muscles – some days I wake up and I feel all sore and stiff and aged about 105. My sister calls it ‘feeling old and crunchy’. It makes me want to huddle up on the couch, but what I really need is to move and stretch out my body. If this is you, give stretching a try, and then get moving again. Your body needs to move in different planes – not just hunched over a computer, a book, a tv.
4. Lack of energy – if you’re feeling lethargic or tired constantly, go back to this post and see if anything there sounds like it could help. And pack in as many vegies and protein as you can.
5. Lack of a plan – things (especially things you are not super keen to do) don’t happen without a plan. Once you have prioritised being active, make a plan of what, where, when. If you are getting up early to do it, have your gear laid out. If you’re doing it on the way home from work, pack your gym bag and put it next to the door so you don’t forget it. Plan!
6. Sleep – this also fits into energy above, but the thing is, if you are planning to get up early to workout? Don’t go to bed super late!! That would be just setting yourself up to fail…
7. Lack of commitment – decide if you really want to do this. Sure, you’ve been hating the size of your thighs since high school, but are you actually going to do something positive about it? I think berating ourselves about being lazy becomes a habit, and if at the heart of it, you’re not really planning on getting out there, then maybe stop beating yourself up about it. If you can’t commit to being healthy and happy, at least focus on being happy. Otherwise, sit yourself down, make a list of all the reasons you want to do this, the things it will bring you, the person it will make you, and commit.
8. Not focussing on big picture, or focussing too much on the big picture! – Maybe you don’t know where you’re headed, what you’re trying to get out of this? If not, have a think about it. Make a list, set some goals if that helps you. Get a strong image of what you’re aiming for. Then you can call on that image when the alarm clock rings at something-too-early-AM to help get you out of bed. On the other hand, maybe you are too focussed on the end results and get demoralised if results don’t come fast enough. It’s good to have goals, but only motivating ones! Tweak your goals, or your plan of attack, or your expectations if this is you.
9. Your health – if you have some condition or disease, get specific advice from your doctor about what you can do and what you should not do. And take that advice. If you are temporarily just a bit unwell, use your best judgement. Rest if you need to, go slowly if you need to. Try not to let it hold you back for too long.
10. Procrastination – ‘yeah yeah yeah, I know I missed yesterday but I am definitely going to go today, I’ll just do it a bit later, not right now…’ Come on. There is only now. If you really want to do this, stop putting up with weak excuses and do something now. Even if it’s only ten minutes, right?

What holds you back? What can you do to change it? I’d love to hear.